Baby carriers

Baby slings, carriers and back packs are devices that strap onto an adult’s back or front from the shoulders to the hips or waist. They are designed to help carry your baby by easing the pressure on your arms and back.

If you use an unsafe baby sling or carrier, or use it in ways not recommended in the instructions, it can lead to:

• rapid suffocation if your baby's face is pressed against fabric or the your body
• slow suffocation if your baby is lying in a 'c' shape position with chin on chest
• neck injuries, finger traps and pinching in a framed carrier, especially infants less than four or five months old
• falls.

Babies who are under four months old, premature, low birth weight or having breathing difficulties appear to be at greater risk in slings. Consult a paediatrician before using a sling with a premature baby.

Child safety experts do not recommend carrying children less than four months old in framed carriers.